New York had its three-game winning streak snapped last night. The Mets are 4-6 in their last 10 games. New York is 32-47 on the road this season.

The Mets have won 18 of their last 21 series vs. the Phillies. New York is 37-18 vs. Philadelphia since the start of the 2015 campaign. New York has out-homered the Phillies, 101-43 since the start of the 2015 season.

METS LINEUP

Norichika Aoki – RF

Jose Reyes – 2B

Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Kevin Plawecki – C

Dominic Smith – 1B

Amed Rosario – SS

Juan Lagares – CF

Seth Lugo – P

PHILLIES LINEUP

Cesar Hernandez – 2B

J.P. Crawford – SS

Aaron Altherr – LF

Rhys Hoskins – 1B

Nick Williams – RF

Odubel Herrera – CF

Maikel Franco – 3B

Jorge Alfaro – C

Henderson Alvarez – P

Seth Lugo is 7-5 over 18 starts in 97.1 innings with a 4.72 ERA, 3.92 FIP and 1.366 WHIP. In his last two starts he has allowed only one run over 11.0 innings with six hits, a walk and 10 strikeouts. His last start against the Phillies was in Philadelphia in mid-August where he allowed five runs over 5.1 innings with eight hits and four walks. The Phillies have the following numbers against Lugo:

Hernandez 2-for-4, 3B, 3 BB

Franco 1-for-5

Galvis 0-for-5

Herrera 1-for-4, 2B

Alfaro 1-for-3

Hoskins 0-for-3

Joseph 2-for-3, 2B

Altherr 0-for-1

The Mets bats will take a crack at Henderson Alvarez who is 0-1 in two starts and 10.0 innings this year with a 3.60 ERA, 6.05 FIP and 1.400 WHIP. Alvarez was with the Blue Jays and Marlins organizations over his career and made his debut with the Blue Jays in 2011. He got a full season with the Marlins 2014 (All-Star) and has had a tough road since including playing in the minors all of 2016 with Oakland. In the minors this season he was 2-0 over three starts and 19.0 innings with a 2.84 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers with him as he tries to come back:

d’Arnaud 4-for-15, BB

Lagares 2-for-9, 2 2B

Aoki 2-for-6

Cabrera 2-for-5

NOTES:

Jose Reyes has 21 career homers vs. the Phillies, his most vs. any club and his 73 career RBI vs. Philadelphia are also the most. He has 10 homers at Citizens Bank Park, his most in any visiting ballpark.

Dominic Smith has six home runs and 18 RBI this month. His six homers are tied for the eighth-most in the NL this month and his 18 RBI are tied for 14th in the NL. Among rookies he ranks fourth in the majors in homers this month and tied for third in RBI. Smith has homered in back-to-back for the second time in his career (also: Sept. 13-14). He has nine homers in 160 at-bats in the majors.

Amed Rosario is hitting .286 (16-for-56) with eight runs scored this month (16 games). Rosario is hitting .275 (28-for-102) with two doubles, two triples, home runs, five RBI and 10 runs scored over his last 28 games dating to Aug. 18.

The Mets start their last series of 2017 in Philly tonight as they look to close out the season with a few more wins and try to at least get into the 70’s in the win column. On Wednesday the Mets had a solid night as Gsellman through a strong 6.0 innings and the Mets bats were able to string together hits to score runs including a homer by Dominic Smith.

Mets Lineup

Nori Aoki – RF

Jose Reyes – 2B

Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B

Travis d’Arnaud – C

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Amed Rosario – SS

Dominic Smith – 1B

Juan Lagares – CF

Matt Harvey – RHP

Phillies Lineup

Cesar Hernandez – 2B

Freddy Galvis – SS

Nick Williams – RF

Rhys Hoskins – 1B

Aaron Altherr – LF

Odubel Herrera – CF

Maikel Franco – 3B

Jorge Alfaro – C

Ben Lively – RHP

Matt Harvey looks to close out the season on a strong note. He is 5-6 on the season over 18 starts and 17 games in 88.2 innings of work with a 6.60 ERA, 6.34 FIP and 1.658 WHIP. His last time out wasn’t technically a start as Syndergaard pitched the first inning. In that outing Harvey tossed 4.0 innings allowing 4 hits and 3 runs with 2 walks. He looked good in his first two innings but things fell apart afterward. Those 3 runs were the difference maker as they tied the game and then the Mets lost it in the 10th. I was at his only other start against Philly this year which was his second start of the season where he allowed 2 runs from 5 hits and a walk in 5.2 innings. The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

Herrera 3-15, HR

Galvis 3-11, BB

Hernandez 4-9, BB

Franco 2-6

Rupp 1-5

Blanco 2-3

The Mets bats will get a look at rookie Ben Lively who is 3-7 over 14 games and 82.2 innings with a 4.35 ERA, 4.81 FIP and 1.306 WHIP. He is coming off his worst start of the season against Atlanta were he allowed 6 runs from 8 hits and 2 walks in 5.0 innings. Against the Mets this year he allowed 3 runs over 13.1 innings allowing 9 hits and 7 walks while striking out 6. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Reyes 1-6, 3B, BB

Cabrera 2-6, 2B

d’Arnaud 2-6, 2B

Aoki 1-2, 2B

Cecchini 0-3

Lagares 1-2, 2B, BB

Nimmo 0-2, BB

Notes –

Matt Harvey has walked four or more batters six times this season. Entering the 2017 season, Harvey walked four or more batters in four starts in total.

The Mets have won 18 of their last 21 series vs. the Phillies. New York is 37-17 vs. Philadelphia since the start of the 2015 campaign. New York has out-homered the Phillies, 99-40 since the start of the 2015 season.

Over his last 32 games dating to August 13, Reyes is hitting .333 (39-117) with seven doubles, one triple, fi ve home runs, 18 RBI and 27 runs scored.

The Mets play their final home game of the season tonight as they take on the Braves to close Citi Field for 2017. The Mets had a comeback win last night as they were down 3-0 going into the 7th. They got two runs against Dickey in the 7th, they tied the game in the 8th and they won it in the ninth. Tonight they look for their third straight win.

Mets Lineup

Robert Gsellman closes out Citi Field. He is 7-7 over 24 starts and 113.2 innings with a 5.38 ERA, 5.02 FIP and 1.522 WHIP. Two starts ago (against Atlanta) he was fantastic allowing one unearned run over 7.0 innings from only three hits. Last time out he allowed six runs, five earned, in 5.0 innings off four hits. The Braves have the following numbers against him:

Inciarte 4-15, HR, 3 BB

Markakis 3-17

Freeman 5-13, 2 2B, 2 BB

Swanson 3-13, BB

Flowers 3-12, 2B, BB

Kemp 6-12, 3 2B, HR, BB

Garcia 6-11, 2B

Peterson 2-9, 2 2B

Adams 0-2

The Mets draw rookie Sean Newcomb who is 4-8 over 18 starts and 95.0 innings of work this season with a 4.26 ERA, 4.26 FIP and 1.568 WHIP. He has been consistent in his last four starts totaling 20.2 innings allowing 10 runs, nine earned including a 5.1 inning start against the Mets where he allowed two runs off a walk and six hits (while striking out eight). The Mets have the following numbers against him:

The Mets and Braves played two yesterday and they split the bill. The Braves beat the Mets 9-2 in a game that saw Flexen struggle and McGowan add fuel to the fire. In the other game, the Mets won 3-2 as Lugo tossed a strong 6.2 innings and d’Arnaud added a key homer. Tonight, Rafael Montero takes on R.A. Dickey.

METS LINEUP

Norichika Aoki – LF

Jose Reyes – 2B

Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B

Brandon Nimmo – CF

Kevin Plawecki – C

Dominic Smith – 1B

Amed Rosario – SS

Travis Taijeron – RF

Rafael Montero – RHP

BRAVES LINEUP

Ender Inciarte – CF

Ozzie Albies – 2B

Freddie Freeman – 1B

Nick Markakis – RF

Tyler Flowers – C

Johan Camargo – 3B

Dansby Swanson – SS

Jace Peterson – LF

R.A. Dickey – RHP

Rafael Montero is 5-11 over 32 games and 17 starts in 110.01 innings with a 5.30 ERA, 4.26 FIP and 1.722 WHIP. After a strong streak of starts, Montero has had a tough September with only one good start (5.0 IP, 1 ER) and three poor starts (combined 13.2 IP, 12 ER). One of those starts was against the Braves where he allowed three runs from seven hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. The Braves have the following numbers against Montero:

Kemp 3-for-6, 2 2B, BB

Freeman 0-for-2, 2 BB

Inciarte 1-for-3, BB

Markakis 2-for-4

Swanson 1-for-4

Albies 1-for-2, 2B

The Mets will get to see Dickey again who is 10-10 over 30 starts and 183.1 innings this season with a 4.32 ERA, 4.75 FIP and 1.391 WHIP. He is coming off a strong start against the Nationals where he allowed two runs over eight innings with only four hits and no walks. Before that he faced the Mets who were able to notch five runs from eight hits and two walks in five innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Dickey:

Reyes 5-for-29, HR, 3 BB

Cabrera 8-for-26, 2 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 4 BB

d’Arnaud 1-for-9, 2 BB

Aoki 3-for-8, 2B, BB

Lagares 2-for-8, 2B, BB

Flores 1-for-3

Nimmo 1-for-3, 2B

Cecchini 2-for-2, 2B

NOTES:

Since winning the 2012 NL Cy Young Award with the Mets, R.A. Dickey has started four times against the Mets, including three times this year (April 27, May 2 and Sept. 16), going 3-1 with a 4.24 ERA (11 earned runs/23.1 innings).

Brandon Nimmo has a .386 OBP since Aug. 1, ranking third among all rookies behind Rhys Hoskins (.400) and Andrew Benintendi (.389). Nimmo is tied for seventh in the majors among all players with 16 walks this month. Nimmo is batting .289 (28-for-97) with a .398 OBP since Aug. 27, spanning 28 games. He has six doubles, five homers, 16 RBI and 15 runs scored during that span. He is 6-for-his-last-15 (.400).

The Mets have partnered with New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on the Empire State Relief & Recovery Effort for Puerto Rico. The Mets are encouraging fans attending this series to bring donations. There are collection points set up outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, Left Field Gate and Bullpen Gate. Donations will be accepted between 4:00 p.m-7:00 p.m. through Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, September 28-29, the Mets will accept donations between 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Among items needed: batteries, flashlights and portable lanterns, diapers and baby wipes, cases of water, feminine hygiene products and canned food.

Today is New York’s fourth doubleheader this year. The Mets swept a twin bill at Atlanta on June 10, split a double dip at Washington on Aug. 27 and were swept in a doubleheader on Sept. 2 at Houston. The Mets conclude their single admission doubleheader with Seth Lugo vs. Max Fried.

METS LINEUP

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Juan Lagares – CF

Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B

Travis d’Arnaud – C

Kevin Plawecki – 1B

Travis Taijeron – RF

Matt Reynolds – SS

Gavin Cecchini – 2B

Seth Lugo – RHP

BRAVES LINEUP

Ender Inciarte – CF

Ozzie Albies – 2B

Nick Markakis – RF

Kurt Suzuki – C

Rio Ruiz – 1B

Johan Camargo – SS

Adonis Garcia – 3B

Lane Adams – LF

Max Fried – LHP

Lugo is 6-5 over 17 games and 16 starts in 91 1/3 innings with a 5.03 ERA, 4.13 FIP and 1.434 WHIP. His FIP is finally below his FIP from last year, which was 4.33. This is in part due to his last start where he pitched five innings and allowed one run off four hits and a walk, which was a nice rebound from his previous start of three innings where he allowed eight runs on seven earned. He hasn’t faced the Braves since his first start of the season back in June where he allowed one run over seven innings with six hits and two walks. The Braves have the following numbers against Lugo:

Inciarte 2-for-6, BB

Kemp 2-for-5, BB

Markakis 3-for-6

Swanson 0-for-4

Adams 0-for-3

Camargo 0-for-3

Flowers 1-for-2, 2B

Freeman 1-for-2, BB

Garcia 1-for-3, 2B

Peterson 0-for-1

The Mets bats draw Max Fried making just his third major league start. He has pitched in seven games so far this season totaling 16 1/3 innings with a 4.41 ERA, 5.97 FIP and 1.653 WHIP. In the minors this season he was 2-11 between AA and AAA starting 21 games and 92 2/3 innings with a 5.54 ERA and 1.446 WHIP. His first major league start was good as he allowed one run over five innings from four hits and three walks. In his last start he allowed four runs, three earned over 3 2/3 innings from six hits and a walk. After that he pitched in relief against the Mets holding a clean inning with two strikeouts (Evans and Nimmo, Aoki recorded an out as well).

NOTES:

The Mets are partnering with New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on the Empire State Relief & Recovery Effort for Puerto Rico. The Mets are encouraging fans attending this series to bring donations. There are collection points set up outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, Left Field Gate and Bullpen Gate. Donations will be accepted between 4:00 p.m-7:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, Sept.
28-29, the Mets will accept donations between 10 a.m.-6 p.m. outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda…Among items needed: batteries, flashlights and portable lanterns, diapers and baby wipes, cases of water, feminine hygiene products and canned food.

New York is 3-7 in its last 10 games. New York is 34-42 at Citi Field this year. The Mets fell to 2-8 in extra inning games (1-5 at home) and 19-23 in one-run games. New York is a season high-tying 22 games under .500. The Mets are 14-31 during the day.

METS LINEUP

Norichika Aoki – RF

Jose Reyes – 2B

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Travis d’Arnaud – C

Dominic Smith – 1B

Phillip Evans – 3B

Amed Rosario – SS

Juan Lagares – CF

Jacob deGrom – RHP

NATIONALS LINEUP

Trea Turner – SS

Alejandro De Aza – LF

Daniel Murphy – 2B

Anthony Rendon – 3B

Howie Kendrick – 1B

Victor Robles – RF

Michael A. Taylor – CF

Jose Lobaton – C

Max Scherzer – RHP

Jacob deGrom is 15-9 in 30 games and 195.1 innings with a 3.55 ERA, 3.55 FIP and 1.198 WHIP. He is coming off a strong start of seven innings allowing one run on five hits and two walks. The last time he allowed only one run in an outing was against the Nationals in August where he held them to a run over 7.2 innings with five hits and only one walk while striking out 10. The Nationals have the following numbers against deGrom:

Rendon 0-for-16, 4 BB, 5 K

Taylor 0-for-17, 1 BB, 10 K

Zimmerman 5-for-16, 2 HR, 6 K

Kendrick 2-for-17

Werth 1-for-15, 2 BB, 5 K

Turner 4-for-12, 2B, BB

Murphy 3-for-12

Wieters 3-for-12, HR

The Mets draw Max Scherzer who is 15-6 in 29 games and 191.1 innings with a 2.59 ERA, 2.94 FIP and 0.915 WHIP. He leads the league in strikeouts (253), in WHIP and H/9 (5.7). He is coming off a strong rebound start from his previous one. In the rebound he allowed two runs over seven innings, in the two starts before that he allowed 11 runs over 12.0 innings. Earlier this season he allowed eight runs in 14.0 innings in back-to-back starts against the Mets and then he faced the Mets again in June and allowed one run in eight innings. The Mets have the following numbers on Max:

Cabrera 14-for-61, 4 2B, HR, 3 BB

Reyes 9-for-26, 2B, HR, BB

d’Arnaud 3-for-15, 3B, 7 K

Flores 0-for-14, BB

Aoki 2-for-9, 2 BB

Lagares 1-for-11, BB

Plawecki 2-for-12, 4 K

Nimmo 1-for-5

deGrom 1-for-3

NOTES:

New York is hitting .276 this month, ranking third in the majors. The Mets are second in the majors with a .351 OBP and have 45 doubles this month, the fourth-most in the majors. New York is fifth with a .800 OPS. José Reyes is tied for seventh in the NL with 15 RBI this month.

The Mets have hit 217 home runs this year, one shy of the franchise record (218) set last year. This is the first time in team history the Mets have hit 200 or more homers in consecutive seasons. The Mets are second in the NL and eighth in the majors with 217 home runs.

Jacob deGrom has career highs in wins (15), strikeouts (228), innings (195.1) and today will be his career-high 31st start. DeGrom is tied for fourth in the NL in wins…Only 14 pitchers in franchise history have 16 or more wins, last by R.A. Dickey (20 wins in 2012). DeGrom ranks 12th in team history with his 228 strikeouts in a single-season. Dickey is 11th (230 strikeouts i 2012), David Cone is 10th (233 in 1990), Tom Seaver is ninth (235 in 1976). He is fifth in the majors in strikeouts this year. The last Mets pitcher to toss 200.0 or more innings was Bartolo Colon (202.1 innings) in 2014. DeGrom ranks ninth in the majors in innings.

The Mets snapped their three-game losing streak last night. New York is 3-7 in its last 10 games…New York is 34-41 at Citi Field this year.

METS LINEUP

Norichika Aoki – RF

Jose Reyes – 2B

Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Kevin Plawecki – C

Dominic Smith – 1B

Amed Rosario – SS

Juan Lagares – CF

Noah Syndergaard – RHP

NATIONALS LINEUP

Trea Turner – SS

Jayson Werth – LF

Daniel Murphy – 2B

Anthony Rendon – 3B

Adam Lind – 1B

Michael A. Taylor – CF

Andrew Stevenson – RF

Matt Wieters – C

Stephen Strasburg – RHP

Tonight, Noah Syndergaard makes his first start since April 30. He will pitch only one inning and will be replaced with Matt Harvey. That final start of his season was against the Nationals as he was charged with five runs in 1 1/3 innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against Syndergaard:

Rendon 7-for-20, 2B, HR, BB

Werth 3-for-19, 2 BB

Murphy 3-for-13, 2 2B, BB

Kendtrick 1-for-12

Zimmerman 3-for-12, 2 2B

Turner 1-for-8

Lobaton 1-for-6

After an inning of Noah, we get the Dark Knight. He is 5-6 over 17 starts and 84 2/3 innings with a 6.59 ERA, 6.15 FIP and 1.665 WHIP. He is coming off a terrible start where he allowed seven runs on 12 hits and two walks in four innings of work. In his last two starts, he has allowed 12 runs and 19 hits in 7 1/3 innings and has allowed four runs or more in four of his last five starts. The only time he faced the Nationals this year was a good one in April where he allowed three runs from four hits and two walks in seven innings. The Nationals have the following numbers against him:

Werth 5-for-24, 2B

Zimmerman 6-for-23, 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB

Rendon 9-for-21, 2B, 3B, HR

Taylor 4-for-18, 2B

Kendrick 2-for-11

Lobaton 2-for-10, HR

The Mets bats will try to get at Stephen Strasburg who is having an excellent season. His best in years, possibly the best in his career. He is 14-4 over 26 games and 162 2/3 innings with a 2.60 ERA, 2.78 FIP (league leading) and 1.027 WHIP. In his last five starts he has allowed one run over 35.0 innings, an ERA of 0.26 with a .167 opponent batting average. He is 1-1 against the Mets this season over three games and 19 1/3 innings allowing five runs on 14 hits with a 2.33 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Reyes 7-for-29, 2 2B, BB

d’Arnaud 4-for-16, HR, 2 BB

Cabrera 3-for-14, 2 HR

Lagares 2-for-14

Flores 2-for-12, 2B

Plawecki 1-for-6, 2B

NOTES:

New York is hitting .280 this month, ranking third in the majors. The Mets are second in the majors with a .356 OBP and have 43 doubles this month, tied for the fourth-most in the majors. New York is fourth with a .816 OPS. José Reyes is tied for sixth in the NL with 15 RBI this month and Dominic Smith and Travis d’Arnaud are tied for 11th with 14 RBI.

The Mets have hit 217 home runs this year, one shy of the franchise record (218) set last year. This is the first time in team history the Mets have hit 200 or more homers in consecutive seasons. The Mets are tied for the NL lead with Milwaukee and are tied for sixth in the majors with 217 home runs.

New York has 23 stolen bases in its last 27 games. Since Aug. 25, the Mets are second in stolen bases in the majors, trailing Boston (24). The Mets had 32 stolen bases in their first 126 games. José Reyes is tied for third in the majors with eight stolen bases since Aug. 25.

Travis d’Arnaud has a career-high 15 homers. D’Arnaud joins Mike Piazza, Todd Hundley, Gary Carter, John Stearns and John Buck as catchers who have hit 15 or more homers in team history. Last night was his second career multi homer game (also: April 28 at Washington this year). According to
Elias, Carter (1985 vs. San Diego) and Hundley (1997 vs. Cincinnati) are the only catchers in team history with two multi-home run games vs. the same team in the same season. Nine of d’Arnaud’s 15 home runs have tied the game or given the Mets a lead.

Jeurys Familia earned his first save since May 5 last night. Familia has 104 career saves ranking fourth in franchise history. Jesse Orosco is third with 107 saves.. Familia has held righthanders to a .182 (8-for-44) batting average this year.

The Mets and Marlins wrap up their series this afternoon as the Mets look to salvage a game and avoid a sweep. Last night the Mets were cruising into the 9th inning with a lead, even getting a late insurance run, but it wasn’t enough as AJ Ramos faltered and the Marlins walked off in the 10th. It was frustrating to watch, but was more frustrating in that it wasn’t a surprise.

Marlins Lineup

Rafael Montero gets the start this afternoon. He is 5-10 over 31 games and 16 starts with 106.1 innings posting a 5.08 ERA, 4.16 FIP and 1.702 WHIP. After a string of mostly strong starts, Montero took a step back in his last start allowing three runs over 4.2 innings from seven hits and two walks. This season he is 1-0 in six games and two starts against the Marlins allowing eight runs in 14.1 innings from 22 hits and 11 walks. The Marlins have the following numbers against him:

Gordon 5-18, 2B, BB

Ozuna 6-11, 4 BB

Realmuto 2-13, BB

Stanton 3-9, 2B, 3 BB

Yelich 1-8, 3 BB

Bour 1-4, 2 BB

Rojas 4-6

Suzuki 3-6, 3B

Ellis 1-3, 2B, 2 BB

The Mets bats will try to strike back against Jose Urena who is 13-6 over 31 games and 25 starts with a 3.62 ERA, 5.06 FIP and 1.233 WHIP in 151.2 innings. Before his last start he tossed 18.0 innings in three starts allowing only three runs from 11 hits and six walks. In his last start he allowed five runs, three earned in 6.0 innings. That start was against the Mets who have the following numbers against him:

The Mets had their two-game winning streak snapped last night. New York is 4-6 in its last 10 games. The Mets are 32-44 away from Citi Field and 6-15 in their last 21 road games. The Mets are 32-32 vs. the NL East. New York’s remaining 12 games are all against NL East opponents.

METS LINEUP

Norichika Aoki – RF

Jose Reyes – SS

Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B

Dominic Smith – 1B

Travis d’Arnaud – C

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Juan Lagares – CF

Phillip Evans – 2B

Seth Lugo – RHP

MARLINS LINEUP

Ichiro Suzuki – LF

Giancarlo Stanton – RF

Christian Yelich – CF

Justin Bour – 1B

J.T. Realmuto – C

Derek Dietrich – 2B

Brian Anderson – 3B

Mike Aviles – SS

Odrisamer Despaigne – RHP

Seth Lugo is 6-5 over 16 starts, tossing 86.1 innings with a 5.21 ERA, 4.07 FIP and 1.459 WHIP. His last start against the Cubs was rough as he allowed eight runs on seven earned in just three innings. He’s been alternating recently between terrible and good as his pitch count has been limited. Earlier this season, in one start against the Marlins, he allowed three runs, two earned over six innings from six hits and a walk. The Marlins have the following numbers against Lugo:

Yelich 3-for-9, HR, BB

Gordon 1-for-8, 2B

Ozuna 0-for-4, 2 BB

Bour 1-for-5

Realmuto 2-for-6

Stanton 3-for-6, 2B, HR

Suzuki 0-for-5

Dietrich BB

The Mets bats draw Orisamer Despaigne tonight who is 0-3 over 15 games and five starts in 39 1/3 innings with a 4.35 ERA, 4.38 FIP and 1.500 WHIP. He started September off with a strong seven inning outing where he allowed one run on five hits and two walks. He followed that up with a start in Atlanta where he allowed five runs on four hits and six walks in 3 2/3 innings. In his only start against the Mets this year he allowed eight runs, three earned from five hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. Later in the year he recorded one out in relief against the Mets while also allowing two hits, a walk and three runs. The Mets have the following numbers against Despaigne:

Reyes 2-for-6

Lagares 0-for-3, BB

Cabrera 2-for-3, 2B

d’Arnaud 0-for-3

Plawecki 0-for-2

NOTES:

AJ Ramos returns to Miami for the first time, since the Mets acquired him on July 28 in exchange for two minor leaguers. Ramos did not face the Marlins during the series in New York (Aug. 18-20). He has allowed three runs in his last 13.0 ininngs (2.08 ERA) dating to Aug. 11. Ramos is tied for sixth in the NL with 27 saves and is one of four relievers to post 25 or more saves in each of the last three years (Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel and Cody Allen). He is seven-for-seven in save opportunities with the Mets.

New York is hitting .278 this month, ranking fourth in the majors. The Mets are second in the majors with a .361 OBP and have 41 doubles this month, ranking second in the majors. New York is fourth with a .823 OPS.

Asdrúbal Cabrera is third in the majors with a .423 (22-for-52) batting average this month. He is fourth in the NL with a .475 OBP this month and fourth in the majors in slugging (.750). Cabrera is tied for the major league lead with
eight doubles in September. Cabrera’s 11-game hitting streak ended last night, but over his last 13 games, he’s batting .488 (20-for-41) with eight RBI.

New York has 21 stolen bases in its last 23 games. Since Aug. 25, the Mets are second in stolen bases in the majors. The Mets had 32 stolen bases in their first 126 games. José Reyes is second in the majors with eight stolen bases since Aug. 25.

Brandon Nimmo has a .394 OBP since Aug. 1, ranking third among all rookies behind Rhys Hoskins (.420) and Dansby Swanson (.396). Nimmo is third in the majors among all players with 14 walks this month. Nimmo is batting .286 (20-for-70) with a .416 OBP since Aug. 27, spanning 21 games. He has three doubles, three homers, 13 RBI and 11 runs scored during that span.

The Mets are fresh off a series win in Atlanta and head to Miami to face the fish. Yesterday the Mets got a strong start from Robert Gsellman and several insurance runs in the 9th inning for a strong 5-1 win. Tonight, Matt Harvey looks to find some positives in his last couple of starts of the 2017 season.

Amed Rosario was scratched from tonight’s line-up with an upset stomach.

Marlins Lineup

Harvey is 5-5 over 16 starts and 80.2 innings with a 6.14 ERA, 6.08 FIP and 1.574 WHIP. After an average start against the Reds where he allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in 5.0 innings, he struggled against the Cubs allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks in 3.1 innings. In his one start against the Marlins this year he allowed two runs, only one earned over 6.0 innings off seven hits and two walks. The Marlins have the following numbers against Harvey:

Yelich 5-21

Ozuna 7-20, 2B, 3B

Stanton 2-17, BB

Dietrich 4-17, 2 2B

Realmuto 6-15

Bour 1-12, HR, BB

Gordon 6-13

Suzuki 0-8

The Mets bats will take a crack at Dan Straily. He is 9-9 over 30 starts and 167.2 innings with a 4.24 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 1.264 WHIP. He is coming off one of his worst starts of the season where he allowed eight runs over 6.0 innings allowing 13 hits and a walk. In two starts against the Mets this year he allowed two runs on five hits and six walks over 10.1 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Dan:

The Mets snapped their five-game losing streak last night. New York is 5-5 in its last 10 games. The Mets are 31-43 away from Citi Field and 5-14 in their last 19 road games. New York snapped an eight-game road losing streak last night. The Mets are 13-29 in day games.

METS LINEUP

Norichika Aoki – RF

Jose Reyes – 2B

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Kevin Plawecki – C

Dominic Smith – 1B

Amed Rosario – SS

Juan Lagares – CF

Phillip Evans – 3B

Robert Gsellman – RHP

BRAVES LINEUP

Ender Inciarte – CF

Ozzie Albies – 2B

Freddie Freeman – 1B

Nick Markakis – RF

Johan Camargo – 3B

Dansby Swanson – SS

Jace Peterson – LF

David Freitas – C

Julio Teheran – RHP

Gsellman is 6-7 over 22 games and 19 starts totaling 101 2/3 innings with a 5.58 ERA, 5.10 FIP and 1.603 WHIP. He had a decent start on Sept. 6 against the Phillies allowing three runs, two earned over six innings, but last time out against the Cubs he allowed four runs over four innings off five hits and five walks in a game the Mets lost 8-3, their smallest margin the entire series. He is 2-1 over four games and three starts against the Braves this year allowing 11 runs, 10 earned over 16 2/3 innings. The Braves have the following numbers against him:

Inciarte 3-for-12, HR, 3 BB

Markakis 3-for-14

Flowers 3-for-12, 2B, BB

Freeman 4-for-10, 2B, 2 BB

Kemp 6-for-12, 3 2B, HR

Garcia 6-for-11

Teheran is 11-11 over 29 starts and 169 1/3 innings with a 4.57 ERA, 5.11 FIP and 1.370 WHIP. He’s ready to reset this season just like the Mets. He is coming off one of his strongest starts of the year where he allowed no runs over seven innings against the Nationals off seven hits and two walks. He is 1-1 in four games against the Mets this year posting a 3.33 ERA allowing nine runs on 18 hits and 13 walks in 24 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

d’Arnaud 2-for-26, 2 BB

Cabrera 7-for-23, 2 2B, 2 BB

Flores 3-for-21, HR, 3 BB

Reyes 3-for-21, 2 BB

Lagares 4-for-18

Aoki 3-for-7

NOTES:

New York is hitting .285 this month, ranking fourth in the majors. The Mets are second in the majors with a .363 OBP and have 40 doubles this month, ranking second in the majors. New York is fourth with a .840 OPS.

In 15 games this month, Dominic Smith is batting .315 (17-for-54) with five doubles, four home runs and 14 RBI. Smith leads the Mets in RBI (22) since Aug. 11, when he made his major league debut, and also leads the team in homers (seven). Smith is batting .353 (12-for-34) with two homers and 16 RBI with runners in scoring position. Smith has three home runs in his last six games. He has 10 RBI in his last nine games, including at least one RBI in four straight games (six total).

Brandon Nimmo is batting .305 (18-for-59) with a .427 OBP since Aug. 27, spanning 18 games. Nimmo has three doubles, three homers, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored. Nimmo has a .391 OBP since Aug. 1. He is tied for eighth in the NL with 18 walks since Aug. 15.

Asdrubal Cabrera has hit in 10 straight games, going 19-for-37 (.514) with eight doubles, one homer, six RBI and six runs scored.

The Mets have lost five straight following their four-game winning streak. New York is 4-6 in its last 10 games. The Mets are 30-43 away from Citi Field and 4-14 in their last 18 road games, including losing eight straight. New York is a season high 21 games under .500.

BRAVES LINEUP

Jacob deGrom is 14-9 over 29 games and 188.1 innings with a 3.63 ERA, 3.54 FIP and 1.205 WHIP. He bounced back from a terrible start on Sept. 5 last time out against the Reds allowing only two runs on three hits and three walks in six innings while striking out 10 batters. He is 1-0 in two starts against the Braves this year, allowing five runs in 11 innings on 10 hits and six walks while striking out 11. The Braves have the following numbers against him:

Freeman 5-for-25, 2B, HR, 2 BB

Markakis 7-for-20, HR

Peterson 4-for-18, 2 2B, BB

Inciarte 4-for-15, 2B, 2 BB

Kemp 4-for-16, 2 2B

Garcia 3-for-10, BB

Flowers 3-for-7, 2 BB

Adams 2-for-6, 3B

Swanson 1-for-3, 3 BB

The Mets get to see an old friend in R.A. Dickey, although I’m not sure how many people if any are still on the roster from when Dickey was on the team. Dickey is 9-9 over 28 starts and 170.1 innings with a 4.28 ERA, 4.81 FIP and 1.415 WHIP. September has not been kind to him as he has allowed 12 runs, 11 earned over 9.1 innings in two starts. In his last five starts, he has allowed at least four runs in four of them. The one start he didn’t was a gem, an eight inning outing where he allowed one run against the Phillies. The last time he faced the Mets was in back-to-back starts between April and May where he allowed six runs, five earned over 11 innings on nine hits and six walks. The Mets have the following numbers against R.A.:

Reyes 5-for-29, HR, 3 BB

Cabrera 7-for-23, 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 4 BB

d’Arnaud 0-for-7, BB

Lagares 1-for-7, 2B

Aoki 2-for-5, BB

Flores 1-for-3

NOTES:

Amed Rosario is hitting .314 (22-for-70) with two home runs and four RBI over his last 20 games. He is 7-for-his-last-14 (.500) since missing six games with swelling in his right index finger. Rosario is batting .371 (13-for-35) over his last 11 games.

Asdrúbal Cabrera leads all major leaguers with a .455 (20-for-44) batting average and is tied for first in the NL with a .500 OBP this month. He is tied for first in the majors with seven doubles in September and ranks third in slugging (.750). He has hit in nine straight games, going 18-for-33 (.545).

Dominic Smith has seven homers in his first 34 games as a Met, tied for the fourth-most in team history among players who began their ML careers with the Mets. He trails Mike Jacobs (11), Ron Swoboda (10) and Benny Agbayani (eight). Since Aug. 15, when Dominic Smith hit his first major league homer, Smith is tied with the Cubs’ Ian Happ for the third-most homers in the majors by a rookie, behind Rhys Hoskins (16) and Oakland’s Matt Olson (12).

The Mets and Cubs play game two tonight in Chicago. The Mets lost last night behind Robert Gsellman and tonight they turn to the Dark Knight as fans continue to look at the product the Mets will put on the field next year.

Cubs Lineup

Which Harvey will we get? On the season he is 5-4 over 15 starts and 77.1 innings with a 5.82 ERA, 6.10 FIP, and 1.500 WHIP. His first start back in September was a mess as he allowed seven runs over 2.0 innings off eight hits. Last time out against the Reds wasn’t as bad as he allowed two runs off five hits and a walk in 5.0 innings. The Cubs were the team he faced this year right before his extended DL stint. He allowed four runs over 4.0 inning off four hits and a walk (three homers) at Citi Field. The Cubs have the following numbers against him:

Jay 3-10, 2B

Rizzo 2-7, 2B, HR, 2 BB

Heyward 2-9, HR

Bryant 1-8

Zobrist 2-7, 2B

Schwarber 2-6, 2 HR

Baez 1-5

The Mets bats draw Jon Lester who is 10-7 over 28 starts and 159.1 innings this season posting a 4.35 ERA, 3.99 FIP and 1.299 WHIP. From August through the beginning of September, all of his starts were either average (defined as three runs over six innings), bad or terrible. In his last start he allowed one run over 6.0 innings off five hits and four walks against the Pirates. Against the Mets in June he allowed one run over 7.0 innings while holding the Mets to five hits and walk with 10 K’s. The Mets have the following numbers against Jon:

The Mets head to Chicago looking to build on their successful week. Despite losing on Sunday, the Mets did win four in a row, including the first three against the Reds. They were going for their first five-game winning streak in 2017 but then Sunday happened, and you know how the Mets are on Sundays. The Reds took an early two-run lead but deGrom gained control for the rest of his outing, leaving with a 3-2 lead in a game the Mets eventually led 5-2. The bullpen then melted down between Sewald, Familia and Robles and the Reds won 10-5.

Cubs Lineup

Robert Gsellman gets the start for the Mets. He’s 6-6 over 21 games and 18 starts over 97.2 innings with a 5.44 ERA, 4.97 FIP and 1.567 WHIP. He’s coming off a good start where he allowed three runs, two earned over 6.0 innings off five hits and one walk. It also was a complete game as there was quite a bit of rain and the game was shortened. This is his third good start in his last four. This will be Robert’s first time against the Cubs and he has not faced any members of the Cubs while they were with other teams.

The Mets bats will get to see Jose Quintana who was traded across town mid-season. Overall he is 9-11 over 28 starts and 162.1 innings with a 4.32 ERA, 3.93 FIP and 1.275 WHIP. With the Cubs he is 5-3 over 10 games and 58.0 innings with a 4.03 ERA, 3.78 FIP and 1.190 WHIP. He is coming off a great start where he held the Pirates scoreless over 6.0 innings allowing six hits and one walk. The Mets have the following numbers against Jose:

The Mets go for a four game sweep and their fifth win in a row today as they take on the Reds for the last time this season. Yesterday, Rafael Montero made another good start allowing one run over five innings despite yielding five walks, but the bullpen shut the door behind him. On the other side, Kevin Plawecki continued his impressive return to the majors hitting a two-run, second deck shot. The Mets have momentum right now, but it is also a Sunday, and we know how Sundays are for the Mets.

METS LINEUP

Jose Reyes – 2B

Norichika Aoki – RF

Brandon Nimmo – CF

Travis d’Arnaud – C

Dominic Smith – 1B

Amed Rosario – SS

Travis Taijeron – LF

Matt Reynolds – 3B

Jacob deGrom – RHP

REDS LINEUP

Jose Peraza – CF

Zack Cozart – SS

Joey Votto – 1B

Scooter Gennett – 2B

Eugenio Suarez – 3B

Adam Duvall – LF

Scott Schebler – RF

Tucker Barnhart – C

Sal Romano – RHP

Speaking of Sundays, Jacob deGrom has had a case of the 2017 Mets Sundays in his last several starts. On the season he is 14-9 over 182.1 innings in 28 starts with a 3.65 ERA, 3.60 FIP and 1.212 WHIP. In his last start against the Phillies he allowed nine runs, six earned, in 3.2 innings from 10 hits and two walks. Before that start he faced the Reds where he allowed four runs, three earned, over six hits and three walks in six innings. The Reds have the following numbers against deGrom:

Gennett 5-for-13, 2 2B, HR, BB

Votto 1-for-6

Suarez 3-for-5

Peraza 1-for-3

Cozart 0-for-1

The Mets bats draw Sal Romano who is 4-6 over 12 starts and 64.1 innings with a 4.62 ERA, 4.76 FIP and 1.508 WHIP. Romano’s September started off well as he pitched 5.2 innings against the Pirates holding them to two runs, one earned with four hits and four walks. The start before that he faced the Mets allowing three runs from six hits and two walks over six innings of work. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Cabrera 1-for-2, 2B, BB

d’Arnaud 1-for-3, 2B

Flores 0-for-3

Lagares 0-for-3

Nimmo 0-for-3

Reyes 1-for-2, BB

Rosario 1-for-3

Smith 1-for-3

NOTES:

Jose Reyes is hitting .364 (20-for-55) with four doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and 18 runs scored over his last 16 games dating to Aug. 13. Reyes has 507 career stolen bases, one behind the active leader Ichiro Suzuki (508).

The Mets have won 18 of their last 20 games vs. Cincinnati. New York has won a franchise record nine straight home games vs. the Reds. After winning the first three games of this series, the last time the Mets swept a four-game series vs. the Reds was Sept. 24-27, 2015 at Cincinnati. The last time the Mets swept a four-game series from the Reds in New York was July 18-21, 1997.

Norichika Aoki is 9-for-28 (.321) with three doubles, five RBI and six runs scored in his first seven games with the Mets. Aoki has actually hit in 11 straight games dating to Aug. 20, going 15-43 (.349) with 10 RBI. He’s the 13th Japanese-born player to play for the Mets. Aoki was released by Toronto on Aug. 29.

AJ Ramos has tossed 5.2 scoreless innings earning five saves vs. Cincinnati this year. Ramos has not allowed a run in 19.0 innings in 18 career games vs. the Reds with seven saves. He’s recorded 24 strikeouts and allowed just nine hits during that span.

Over his last 18 games, Nimmo is batting .298 (17-for-57) with two doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI and 12 runs scored. He has 16 walks and a .447 OBP since Aug. 23.

The Mets won again, that’s three in a row! Last night Jose Reyes homered twice and the pitching held it together as the Mets took a second straight game from the Reds guaranteeing at least a series split with the team from Cincy.

Game Notes

The Mets have won 17 of their last 19 games vs. Cincinnati and have won eight straight games against the Reds at Citi Field, tied for the longest winning streak at home vs. Cincinnati in team history.

The Mets lead the NL and are fourth in the majors with 205 home runs, the second-highest total in team history. New York hit a franchise record 218 home runs last year. The Mets lead the majors with 34 homers from the clean-up spot.

New York has 12 stolen bases in its last 15 games. Since August 25, the Mets are tied for the fifth-most stolen bases in the majors. The Mets had 32 stolen bases in their first 126 games.

Reds Lineup

Phillip Ervin – CF

Jose Peraza – SS

Joey Votto – 1B

Adam Duvall – LF

Scooter Gennett – 2B

Eugenio Suarez – 3B

Scott Schebler – RF

Tucker Barnhart – C

Homer Bailey – RHP

Mets Lineup

Jose Reyes – SS

Nori Aoki – RF

Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Juan Lagares – CF

Dominic Smith – 1B

Kevin Plawecki – C

Matt Reynolds – 2B

Rafael Montero – RHP

Tonight Rafael Montero will take the ball in what is becoming a story for the Mets at the end of a lost season. He is 4-9 over 29 games and 14 starts with a 5.21 ERA, 4.25 FIP and 1.686 WHIP. His last start against the Phillies was his first poor start in a while where he allowed 4 ER over 5.1 innings. before that he allowed 3 runs over 19.2 innings including the best game of his career against the Reds. In that start he allowed no runs over 8.1 innings with 3 hits and 4 walks. The Reds have the following numbers against Rafael:

Cozart 1-4, 2B, 3 BB

Votto 2-5, 2B, BB

Barnhart 0-4, BB

Duvall 1-3, HR

Schebler 0-5

Ervin 1-4

Gennett 0-3

Homer Bailey gets the start for the Reds tonight. He is 4-7 over 14 games and 68.1 innings with a 7.24 ERA, 5.26 FIP and 1.785 WHIP. He’s been better in his last three starts pitching 15.0 innings allowing 5 runs (3.00 ERA) from 11 hits and 2 walks. This includes a start against the Mets where he allowed 2 runs over 6.0 innings from 4 hits and a walk. The Mets have the following numbers against Homer:

The New York Mets announced they purchased the contract of infielder Phillip Evans from Triple-A Las Vegas.

In the corresponding move to open up a 40-man roster spot, left-handed starter Steven Matz has been moved from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL.

Matz is out for the season after having ulnar nerve transposition surgery in late August.

Original Post 10:20 a.m.

According to the twitter account SDPreps, the New York Mets are calling up minor league utility prospect Phillip Evans. This will be his first time on a major league roster.

Evans, 24, hit .328/.387/.527 with 18 BB/27 K in the second half for Las Vegas. He has played left field, shortstop, second and third base this in Triple-A for the 51s.

Overall this year, Evans slashed .279/.341/.418 with 26 doubles, career-high 11 home runs, career high 56 RBI and 42 walks compared to only 79 strikeouts in 466 at-bats.

Evans won the Eastern League batting title in 2016 for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies with his .335 average. That career year got him into 21 games in big league spring training this year.

The former 15th round pick will have to be added to the Mets 40-man roster. The Mets need infielder depth with Wilmer Flores out for the season, Amed Rosario out with an injured finger and Asdrubal Cabrera dealing with a sore back.

Evans was going to be a minor league free agent this offseason.

Evans is a dead pull hitter when it comes to power, but he did improve his walk rate this year from 4.9% in 2016 to 8.2% this year.

He’s stretched at shortstop, looks better at third and second base is his best defensive position. Does have the athletic ability to play some corner outfield in a pinch much like Matt Reynolds.

Strong kid that doesn’t strike out much, 359 times in 2177 minor league at-bats.

Evans will become the 15th player drafted by the Mets in 2011 to make a major league roster.

After losing the first three games in September to the Astros, the Mets took a step back in the right direction yesterday afternoon against the Phillies. New York jumped out to a 10-0 lead but as the game went on the Phillies started to chip away at the deficit. Eventually, AJ Ramos shut the door and the Mets won 11-7. Highlight of the game: Lagares making a catch running through pigeons who made their home in the outfield.

METS LINEUP

Jose Reyes – SS

Norichika Aoki – RF

Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B

Travis d’Arnaud – C

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Juan Lagares – CF

Dominic Smith – 1B

Gavin Cecchini – 2B

Jacob deGrom – RHP

PHILLIES LINEUP

Cesar Hernandez – 2B

Freddy Galvis – SS

Odubel Herrera – CF

Rhys Hoskins – 1B

Nick Williams – RF

Hyun Soo Kim – LF

J.P. Crawford – 3B

Jorge Alfaro – C

Ben Lively – RHP

Jacob deGrom will start tonight. He is 14-8 over 27 starts and 178 2/3 innings with a 3.43 ERA, 3.55 FIP and 1.170 WHIP. He was just average in his last start, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks in six innings against the Reds. He is 2-0 against the Phillies this year over three games holding them to three runs across 19 2/3 innings with only 13 hits and three walks (1.37 ERA). The Phillies have the following numbers against him:

Galvis 6-for-22, 5 K

Hernandez 2-for-13, 3 BB

Franco 3-for-15, 2B

Rupp 1-for-10, HR, 2 BB

Williams 2-for-6

Blanco 1-for-5

Hoskins 0-for-2

Kelly 1-for-2

The Mets draw rookie Ben Lively who is 2-5 over 10 games and 59 2/3 innings with a 4.22 ERA, 4.89 FIP and 1.374 WHIP. After a terrible start on Aug. 26 where he allowed six runs over five innings on five hits and two walks (and four homers), Lively bounced back in his last start allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk over six innings. He faced the Mets back on June 30 where he allowed two runs over 6 1/3 innings from five hits and four walks. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

Cabrera 1-for-3

d’Arnaud 1-for-3

Flores 0-for-3, K

Reyes 1-for-2, 3B, BB

deGrom 0-for-1, BB

NOTES:

Jacob deGrom has a career high-tying 14 wins. Also won 14 games in 2015. In the last 10 years (2008-2017) the only pitchers in team history to win 15 or more games are Bartolo Colón (15 in 2016, 15 in 2014), R.A. Dickey (20 in 2012), Mike Pelfrey (15 in 2010) and Johan Santana (16 in 2008). DeGrom is tied for sixth in the majors in wins. He also leads all major league pitchers with 14 hits this season.

Jose Reyes has hit in 10 straight games, going 16-36 (.444) with a .556 OBP, four doubles and three RBI dating to Aug. 13. It is the longest hitting streak for Reyes since hitting in 11 games from June 2-14, 2015. Reyes has also scored at least one run in a career high 10 straight games when he’s had at least one at-bat (15 runs total during that span).

Brandon Nimmo tied his career-high with three hits yesterday. He has 12 walks in last 13 games and has a .446 on base percentage during that span. Nimmo has reached base safely in his last nine games dating to Aug. 27 and is batting .313 (10-for-32) with six RBI during that span.

Noah Syndergaard will start Thursday for Brooklyn (A) vs. the Staten Island Yankees. Threw 1.0 inning (18 pitches) on Saturday for the rookie-level Gulf Coast Mets vs. the Astros. Syndergaard has been on the DL since May 1 with a partial tear of the right lat muscle.

Both games yesterday were quite Mets for different reasons. In the first game, Matt Harvey struggled in his return from the DL allowing seven runs over two innings. Not helping matters – Tommy Milone allowed three runs over 2 2/3 innings immediately after him. Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal but the Mets offense went off thanks to a flurry of homers and they ended up losing 12-8. In the second game, things were going great for Seth Lugo until the sixth and then he just fell apart allowing four runs. That’s all the Astros needed. Making the game even more “Mets,” Flores got injured in a freak accident fouling a ball off his face. 2017 has been a career season for him and all of us here wish him a speedy recovery.

METS LINEUP

Jose Reyes – 2B

Norichika Aoki – RF

Asdrubal Cabrera – 3B

Travis d’Arnaud – DH

Dominic Smith – 1B

Amed Rosario – SS

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Kevin Plawecki – C

Juan Lagares – LF

ASTROS LINEUP

George Springer – DH

Alex Bregman – 3B

Jose Altuve – 2B

Carlos Correa – SS

Josh Reddick – RF

Cameron Maybin – CF

Tyler White – 1B

Juan Centeno – C

Tony Kemp – LF

So Chris Flexen goes out to the mound today. He is 3-3 over seven games and 32 2/3 innings with a 6.89 ERA, 6.90 FIP and 1.990 WHIP. Hats off to the FIP/WHIP stats here for supporting the old school ERA stat well. He is coming off his worst start of the season allowing seven runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Reds. Before that he was on a better run allowing two runs in two of his last three starts.

The Mets bats draw Mike Fiers who is 8-9 over 26 starts and 144 1/3 innings with a 4.55 ERA, 5.42 FIP and 1.351 WHIP. He is leading the league in hit batters with 12 as well. This is relevant because in last night’s game there was a little tit-for-tat between the two teams. If he hits someone today, hopefully the Mets realize that its probably not because of a retaliation campaign but more this is what Fiers does. He is also coming off his worst start of the season where he allowed eight runs over four innings against Texas. A few Mets have seen Fiers before:

Aoki 6-for-14, 2 2B, HR, BB

Reyes 3-for-8, BB

Flores 1-for-2, BB

Lagares 0-for-3

Milone 0-for-2 (If Milone takes an AB in an American League Park then this is the most bizarre Mets season in history)

Plawecki 1-for-1

NOTES:

Dominic Smith slugged his fourth home run of the year yesterday in the first game of the doubleheader. Smith went 3-8 with a double, homer and three RBI in the doubleheader. Smith has eight RBI in his last 11 games.

Norichika Aoki went 1-for-5 in the second game of the doubleheader. He’s the 13th Japanese-born player to play for the Mets. Aoki, who was released by Toronto on Aug. 29, hit .274 (64-for-234) with 13 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 27 RBI and 32 runs scored in 83 games combined between the Blue Jays and Houston Astros this year. The 5-9, 180-pounder has hit .305 (222-for-727) during his career vs. left handers.

Jose Reyes has hit in eight straight games, going 12-for-29 (.414) with a .514 OBP and four doubles dating to August 13. It is the longest hitting streak for Reyes since also hitting in eight consecutive games in Aug. 9-18, 2015 with Colorado. The last time he had a longer hitting streak was June 2-14, 2015 (11 games). Reyes is five extra-bases behind Darryl Strawberry (469) for second place on the club’s all-time list. David Wright is first with 658.

Amed Rosario has four home runs in 107 at-bats in the majors after hitting seven homers in 393 at-bats at Las Vegas (AAA) this season. Rosario is hitting .283 (15-53) with two home runs and four RBI over his last 14 games. Rosario was named the Pacific Coast League’s top rookie this year. In his first year at Triple-A, he hit .328 (5th in the PCL), with seven home runs, 58 RBI, 66 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. He was named to the mid-season and end of year All-Star team.

Urena hit a walk-off blast in the ninth after the 51s blew a 6-5 lead. It was Urena’s second homer in three days. McNeil is starting to heat up after an adjustment to Vegas. He is making a case for being protected on the 40-man roster this offseason.

Peterson missed the last few starts with a foot issue. He is likely headed to St. Lucie at the start of 2018 and the Mets hope he will rise quickly. Johnson finished up the game largely due to the poor weather.

The Mets opener against the Reds Tuesday was one to forget as New York lost 14-4. The positive note for the Amazin’s would be Dominic Smith collecting two hits. On the “needs improvement” side, starting pitcher Chris Flexen allowed seven runs while Chasen Bradford allowed six runs, four earned in his relief appearance. Also Terry double switched out Amed Rosario even though this point in the season is not to win but to get time for young bats and arms.

METS LINEUP

Jose Reyes – SS

Brandon Nimmo – LF

Asdrubal Cabrera – 2B

Wilmer Flores – 3B

Kevin Plawecki – C

Dominic Smith – 1B

Juan Lagares – CF

Matt Reynolds – RF

Rafael Montero – RHP

REDS LINEUP

Phillip Ervin – CF

Zack Cozart – SS

Joey Votto – 1B

Adam Duvall – LF

Scooter Gennett – 2B

Eugenio Suarez – 3B

Scott Schebler – RF

Tucker Barnhart – C

Homer Bailey – RHP

Rafael Montero is 2-9 on the season over 27 games and 12 starts through 83.0 innings while posting a 5.64 ERA, 4.37 FIP and 1.759 WHIP. His last time out was in relief against the Nationals where he allowed two runs over 0.1 innings and two hits. His previous three starts he logged 17.1 innings allowing only six runs on 18 hits and seven walks leading to a 3.12 ERA. The Reds have the following numbers against Montero:

Cozart 0-for-1, 2 BB

Peraza 0-for-3

Barnhart 0-for-1, BB

Duvall 1-for-1, HR, BB

Votto 1-for-2

Homer Bailey left his last start due to pain his right shoulder but he’s going to pitch tonight! He is 4-6 over 12 games and 56.1 innings this season posting a 7.99 ERA, 5.54 FIP and 1.970 WHIP. When he was taken out of his last game early, he was on track to do well allowing no runs and one hit over three innings. If you look at all of his starts, he is either great or terrible, there is only one start of the 12 that is average. The only Mets who have seen him in a game are Cabrera who is 3-9 with two walks and Reyes who is 1-for-5.

NOTES:

The Mets had their franchise-record 14-game winning streak vs. Cincinnati snapped last night. It was one shy of the club’s all-time winning streak vs. one team. New York had 15 straight wins vs. Pittsburgh (June 6, 1986-April 9, 1987).

The Mets average age is 27.2, the fourth youngest in the majors according to ESPN.com. Only Jerry Blevins and Jacob deGrom have been active the entire year without being sent to the minors or placed on the DL.

Asdrubal Cabrera has six RBI in his last five games. Cabrera is batting .375 (6-for-16) with four runs scored and three
doubles during that span.

Jose Reyes is 9-for-his-last-17 (.529) with a .619 OBP dating to August 13. He has seven seasons of 20 or more doubles with the Mets, tied with Mike Piazza for the second-most in franchise history. David Wright has 10 such seasons. He made his first career start in the outfield last night.